An Equal Opportunity Savior
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Acts 15:1-11
1Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
6The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
A few years ago my church congregation began a Hispanic ministry that opened it’s doors to a section of the community it had not specifically sought before. We were excited by the possibilities of this ministry, but were nervous about the subtle changes that would follow. We had to think outside of what we were used to and expand our concept of community such as offering classes to teach English speakers Spanish and Spanish speakers English. After a few months of prayer and accommodation the Hispanic ministry was bursting with new members. God was working in a new way and our congregation was blessed.
On a much grander level, the early church leaders were excited by the universal message that was now reaching the Gentiles: “They told them—much to everyone’s joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted” (v.3b). But as Paul and Barnabas shared the success of Gentile conversion some early believers were angry that their traditional Jewish customs were not required of new Gentile believers. Circumcision had been a tradition of the Jewish faith for thousands of years and now wasn’t what God required for men to be clean. What these troublemakers were asking the Gentiles to do would be similar to telling those who were apart of the Hispanic ministry that they were not saved unless they only spoke English.
One of the greatest aspects of Christianity is that anyone can become a follower of Christ. Jesus is an equal opportunity Savior. He did not exclude believers because they were not born in a certain religion or because they were a certain race or gender. God sent Jesus to save the world. That is why Peter so powerfully rebuked those who thought otherwise: “We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the Lord Jesus” (v.11). Take a moment and reflect on our universal Lord, and thank Him that His plan of salvation included everyone.
Posted By: Eric at 11:05 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Meet Alida Bosshardt
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Alida Bosshardt—better known as Major Bosshardt—was a well known officer in The Salvation Army and more or less the public face of The Army’s work in the Netherlands (AKA Holland).
Born in 1913 in the city of Utrecht Alida did not grow up as a religious person, though her father was a Roman Catholic and her mother was Dutch Reformed. It wasn’t until Alida was 18 years old, when she attended a Salvation Army meeting, that she was saved and became a member of the church.
In 1934 she began work in a Salvation Army children’s home in Amsterdam. During the German occupation during World War II, Bosshardt cared for 80 children (who were mostly Jewish) during the difficult days of Nazi control. She often helped these children go into hiding by riding them to safe houses on her bicycle.
After the War, she worked at the Army's National Headquarters in Amsterdam. She soon realized that the Army was not ministering in Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District and obtained permission to start ministering there.
She stormed the hearts of many with her heartwarming smile, charming Dutch accent, implicit faith, trust in Jesus, and a love for people that could not be hidden. "How or where can we meet the people in their time of need if we are not in the midst?" she often replied to questions about her life in such a dangerous and corrupt part of Amsterdam.
In 1948, Alida was given responsibility for all social service work in Holland and set up her headquarters in the inner city of Amsterdam, where she was already known for her work from her work with the children’s home. For many years her one room served as her bedroom, living room, office, counseling room and any other function directly or indirectly connected with her official position. She was often woken up in the middle of the night by a knock on her door and a desperate cry for help. "I have no food...I am stranded...I need shelter...I need money...my child is sick...my wife is in labor...my husband beat me."
She became a motherly figure to the 3,000 prostitutes of the area, most of whom she knew by name. She was loved and respected by the girls, the pimps, the alcoholics and the drug users. She did not excuse their sin; but was desperately concerned with the sinner. "One sin is not worse than another," she often said. "The banker and the prostitute are both separated from God, and it is the separation that is the sin."
The people of the Red Light District knew that Alida was a woman of God who actually accepted them as they were. In his biography of Alida Bosshardt, Here Is My Hand, Denis Duncan commented on Bosshardt’s “wholly extrovert approach to everyone. Be it workman, alcoholic, princess, prostitute or peer, her attitude was the same, her greeting warm, her comments frank, her friendship real."
Those who knew Alida understood why she could never consider turning back from her chosen way of life. The calling she had undertaken was to her exciting and rewarding. "Heavy?" she said to someone who asked her about the ‘heavy' burden she had undertaken. "It's not heavy for me." She truly found that God’s burden is light, though it meant self-denial, poverty, physical strains and demands almost beyond anyone's endurance.
"It has meant scrubbing floors and cleaning up other people's mess. It has meant conducting the funeral of a mother, 11 of whose 12 children she had brought into the world. It has meant constantly dealing with drunks and the derelicts of human society at any hour of day or night. It has meant walking in the rain selling War Cry’s to people in nice houses; cycling miles and miles to deliver her papers. It has meant living with the sin and evil of this world to the point of descending into other people's hells.”
"I sometimes found it difficult to have nothing of my own," she once wrote, "no house of my own, never to be able to put my legs under my own table. But if you haven't much to lose, you haven't much to look after."
On April 14, 1962, The Salvation Army opened its Goodwill Centre in Amsterdam's inner city, a day of triumph for Bosshardt and also the day she was awarded the Order of the Founder, the highest award the Army can give. When Mrs. Colonel Frederick Holland pinned the decoration on her uniform, Alida said, "Please tell the General I shall do my best in the future and not to worry about me."
Bosshardt saw her approach to ministry as both evangelical and social. “The two strands are inseparable if work is to be effective. To enable people to help themselves is important and must be done. But real change of character that will bear fruit in due season depends on conversion, the surest means' of change.”
"The entire work", she said, is an expression of "love toward God, who gives us the ability to love our fellow man, regardless of who or what he or she may be. This means the clients of the prostitutes and those who profit from prostitution. All are God's creatures and have a right to renewal of contact with God through the mercy of His Son, Jesus Christ."
Alida’s work for the prostitutes of the Red Light District gained her national fame. In 1965, she was accompanied in secret by then Princess Beatrix Armgard (now Queen of the Netherlands) during her rounds where they distributed copies of The War Cry in bars and visited prostitutes and poor families of the Red Light District.
She continued to be a prominent member of the Army after retirement and regularly appeared on television and often spoke at conferences and church services. In 2004, Bosshardt was honored with the prestigious “Righteous Among the Nations” award for her work during World War II.
On June 25, 2007 Alida Bosshardt was promoted to glory at the age of 94. More than 3,500 people passed by her coffin to pay their last respects, 15,000 people signed the register for condolences and more than one million viewers watched her funeral live on television.
During her funeral a statement written by General Shaw Clifton was read: “The colonel was the recipient of many awards which she received with humility and grace. These honors were fully deserved. She received the Order of the Founder, our highest recognition. Now she has the greatest reward that any human being can receive, a Crown of Life in Heaven, and those words from the Master that no other words can surpass, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’…Where are those who will now step forward, inspired by her example, to continue the sacred work for which she was renowned? The world is waiting for you!”
(Compiled and edited from articles from the International Heritage Centre Website and Salvationist.org)
Posted By: Eric at 11:37 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Council of Youth 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
I just wanted thank all the Youth Representatives, Youth Leaders and Corps Officers that attended the Council of Youth last Friday, October 26th at the Des Plaines Corps. Thank you so much for your time, input and passion. Your help in brainstorming is much needed and appreciated!
I know that there were many more who would have liked to attend but couldn’t because of conflicting schedules. If you have any input/ideas/encouragement about Youth Councils, Youth Encounter, Prayer & Praise Nights, MetroYouthNetwork.Com, I’ll Fight Day, Change In, Change Out or Band of Survivors feel free to share your heart with us. Email me your thoughts at Eric_Himes@usc.salvationarmy.org.
Posted By: Eric at 11:07 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Aurora Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE! Podcast
Friday, October 26, 2007
Click here to listen to: Portions from the 2 part message "You Are Perfectly Known, Perfectly Loved by God" from Psalm 139 with testimonies from Metro Youth in between.
Psalm 139:1-12 – You Are Perfectly Known by God
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
Psalm 139:13-18; 23-24 – You Are Perfectly Loved by God
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Posted By: Eric at 12:05 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Video – Teenage Affluenza Is Spreading Fast
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Posted By: Eric at 11:10 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Mission Minded
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Acts 14:19-28
19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. 20 But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. 23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia. 25 They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia.
26 Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed. 27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. 28 And they stayed there with the believers for a long time.
If any of you have ever returned from a mission trip, you would know how exciting it can be to tell your loved ones every detail about your journey. A few summers ago I went on a mission trip to the Ukraine that changed my life. I think about it every day; the people, the experience, the way God changed me. I talk about it so much that my friends tease me by rolling their eyes and finishing my sentences, but this never stops me from sharing.
By the time Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, where they began their mission, they had a lot to talk about. When they met up with their friends they could have laughed and said: “You should have seen the joy on the crippled man’s face when he jumped to his feet and started walking!” or “You haven’t seen an angry mob until you’ve been to Iconium! They know how to throw rocks!” or “It was so strange, all of the sudden they were calling Paul ‘Hermes’ and were calling me ‘Zeus’!”
In the Scripture today, we are given a clear example on what to do after serving the Lord. The first thing these men did was commit their work to God: “They had committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed” (v.26). Then they reported to the church: “Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported about their trip” and finally, told everyone what God had done: “Telling all that God had done and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.” (v.27). When you serve the Lord be sure to commit everything to Him and share His goodness with others, because your mission is your life.
Posted By: Eric at 11:05 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Blue Island Corps In The News
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Salvation Army officer instrumental in bringing teen center to Blue Island
October 22, 2007
By Jim Hook, Staff writer
It wasn't until years after he started working for the Salvation Army that Josh Polanco realized the charitable organization best known for its thrift stores and Christmas bell kettles had helped furnish his childhood home.
"I remember seeing my mom throw money into those red Salvation Army kettles," said Polanco, a lieutenant with the Salvation Army.
"She said she supported the organization because they helped us out when we immigrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico 21 years ago," he said. "I had no idea. But I wasn't surprised. That's what they do."
Polanco continues to serve the Salvation Army by providing programs and services to kids in Chicago's Mount Greenwood community out of a building at 113th Street and Central Park Avenue.
The Salvation Army bought a building on 127th Street and Kedzie Avenue in Blue Island, which it plans to rehab and turn into a center for at-risk teens. That project is expected to begin in three months and take about a year to complete.
Salvation Army officials will hold a free community cookout in Blue Island to celebrate the agency's move to the city.
"We want people in the area to know that we are having a presence in the city," Polanco said. "We're getting things ready to serve the Blue Island community."
Meanwhile, Polanco, 31, will continue working with teens through community outreach and youth ministry from the Mount Greenwood office.
"There are so many kids out there who need direction and guidance in their lives," he said. "There are so many single-parent homes where moms are working one or two jobs and kids are raising themselves."
Polanco, of Evergreen Park, knows about broken homes firsthand.
Both his mother and father are twice married - and divorced. Between them, Polanco has seven siblings and half-siblings.
His mother, Marines, left Puerto Rico in 1986 with Polanco and his three siblings.
Things were tough when they first arrived. Polanco was 10. His family moved to Arlington Heights where being the only Hispanics in the local school forced officials to start an English as a second language program.
"My brother was 9, and I remember he would get beaten up on his way home from school because he dressed and spoke differently than everyone else," Polanco said. "I remember telling myself that I would learn the language so I'd never be put in a second-class category.
"I wanted to fit in. I made it a goal to work harder and make it," he said. "I learned English in six months."
He said he never used coming from a single-parent home as an excuse in life, and he's determined to make sure others don't either.
"It's tough out there," Polanco said. "But we're here to help those who need it through holistic teachings."
"Our motto has always been: Soup, soap and salvation," he said.
A married father of two young daughters, Polanco said he is "energized by working with teens."
"And there are a lot of teens who need our help in Blue Island," he said. "If we don't help them, they run the risk of helping themselves to drugs and gangs. And then we all pay the price."
(Original article from DailySouthtown.Com)
Posted By: Eric at 11:05 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Aurora P&PN NEW LIFE! Photodoc and Report
Monday, October 22, 2007
Friday’s Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE! at the Aurora Corps was incredible! Over 240 youth came from Aurora, Templo Laramie, Des Plaines, Englewood, Hammond-Munster, Irving Park, LaVillita, Mayfair, Mt. Greenwood, Norridge, Oakbrook Terrace, Rockford Temple, Tri-City and the CFOT. It was our biggest Prayer & Praise Night yet!
The worship service was the first Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE! ever and included Change In, Change Out Theatre, a Justice Minute about slavery in Cocoa plantations, Worship, sharing and a message from Psalm 139 about being perfectly known and loved by God.
Don’t miss the next Prayer & Praise Night on Friday, November 16th at the Joliet Corps. Click here to RSVP via our Facebook Event!
Stay tuned for an edited podcast of the meeting as well as a new video by Miguel Garcia and possibly even a theme song by Lemard Fields…
Check out these photos from Friday. To view as a slideshow click here.
(Photos courtesy of J. Bukiewicz)
Posted By: Eric at 4:56 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Tri-City Prayer & Praise Night Video
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Interested in attending a Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE!? Come to the Aurora Corps tomorrow night Friday, October 19th. Bring your friends! We start at 7pm.
(Video courtesy of Miguel Garcia)
Posted By: Eric at 9:12 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Glory to God
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Acts 14:1-18
1 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7 And there they preached the Good News.
8 While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting 9 and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. 10 So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” 12 They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. 13 Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, 17 but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” 18 But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
In today’s passage of scripture, Paul and Barnabas went from leading a group of Jews and Gentiles to the Lord, to fleeing for their lives, to being praised as gods. After many ups and downs it would have been nice—and even a bit amusing—to take some time and accept the praise of these confused people. After they finished preaching, they could have enjoyed a barbeque in their honor at the city gates. But they didn’t. In fact they were so mortified when they learned what was happening that they “tore their clothes in dismay” (v. 14-15).
Paul and Barnabas did a lot of preaching and traveling in the name of the Lord. They were bringing a new and radical message to the Jews and Gentiles alike. So radical that for the first time a mob of Jews and Gentiles finally agreed on something; they wanted to stone these two apostles (v.5)! Even through this chaos the Lord welcomed new believers into the Kingdom of Heaven because of the faithfulness of these two apostles.
Why did these people believe? The answer may be simpler than you think. They believed because the Gospel is real, and they believed because Paul and Barnabas believed. “We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them” (v.15). No matter what challenges you face this week, give all glory and honor to the Lord. And if you go to any barbeques, make sure people don’t call you Zeus.
Posted By: Eric at 11:02 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Meet Henry Bullard – “The Missionary Commissioner”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
When The Salvation Army began it’s work in Leamington, England, young Henry Bullard had no idea that he was about to begin a great adventure. Henry’s exciting journey began when he entered the Army’s building to attend their first bible study in his home town. He sat down and soon found himself surrounded by a vigorous and enthusiastic group of Salvationists.
He left that bible study, and that night—during a time of spiritual wrestling—he accepted Christ as his Savior in his own bedroom. Feeling that he ought to confess God publicly, Henry knelt at the Mercy Seat during the first public meeting which was led by Commissioner Elijah Cadman. Soon after, he became a Soldier and was accepted to enter officer training in 1880 and was appointed to Attercliffe, England after he was commissioned as an officer.
During his following appointments he was subjected to extreme poverty, riots, bitter opposition and imprisonment. While stationed in Grantham, England he received a telegram asking him to consider pioneering the Army’s work in India. He eagerly agreed, and was sent to join forces with Frederick Booth-Tucker, to help prepare their invasion.
In August, 1882, their missionary party sailed for India. They wore semi-native clothing consisting of white suits, long coats, turbans and boots. Before they arrived, the local Indian newspapers had urged the government to stop them from entering India. This controversy created such an interest that a large crowd of police and townspeople were on the landing dock to see the invading Army come ashore.
When the group of four arrived, they were greeted by Police Superintendent Harry Brewin who asked them: “When will the other members of the party land?” In a surprise Booth-Tucker replied, “We are the whole of the Army.” The Superintendent was amazed and responded, “Why, we were expecting you to arrive a thousand strong.” The four harmless missionaries came together and got off the ship; Booth-Tucker carried the flag given to them by Catherine Booth, Bullard followed by playing his cornet, Norman Thompson beat his drum and his wife Mary followed behind with the first tambourine display India had ever seen.
At the time, it was forbidden to play musical instruments while marching in the streets. To the loud and rambunctious group of Salvationists, this was a law that they wanted to challenge. And after a long and skillfully argued process, they were free to use instruments on the march throughout the entire country of India. Henry’s missionary struggle was not gained without sacrifice; during his first year in India he traveled 17,000 miles, and was associated with many of the heroic early day Salvation victories of the time.
Henry visited Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) in 1883 and in 1884 he was married to Selina Roffey. Theirs was the first Army wedding to take place in India. It was also at this time that Captain Bullard stopped wearing boots, his last link with European dress. He and others felt that to meet the needs of the day, they should fully adopt the life of the Indian people.
The Bullard’s were transferred from India to International Headquarters in England. They would return to India seven years later in the capacity of Traveling Secretary and later as the Territorial Commander for the Northern Territory. Later, the Bullard’s would be transferred to help with the Army’s work in Japan.
It was during his time of service in Japan when Henry began a great campaign to bring freedom to girls held under the Yoshiwara system of licensed prostitution, which trapped women in sexual slavery and denied them their freedom. This crusade attracted world-wide attention and because of Henry’s work, the government secured the right for prostituted women to go free if they wished. Within a year, 12,000 women had claimed their freedom from prostitution. Henry’s work and influence in Japan were of such righteous character that his name was placed by an influential committee amongst the “benefactors of modern Japan” one of the highest honors given in Japan.
After spending fifteen years in Japan (and becoming fluent in Japanese), the Bullard’s returned to England because Selina was in poor health. Henry still undertook many important tasks, including the temporary command of British East Africa and Secretary for Emigration in 1922. In 1926, after forty-six years Officership, they retired from active Service. Self-sacrifice, faith, heroism and an ability to work hard are some of the reasons why Henry Bullard ever remembered as one of the Army's fighting saints.
For more information about Henry Bullard check out “This Quiet Man!” by Catherine Sturgess. Click here to download zip file.
(Compiled and edited from the International Heritage Centre Website)
Posted By: Eric at 11:27 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Aurora Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE!
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Aurora Corps is hosting a Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE! this Friday, October 19th at 7pm. It will be a night of fellowship, prayer, praise and teaching for the youth of the Division.
This meeting is going to include a bunch of cool elements such as worship, testimonies, prayer and a powerful message about God’s love.
Here’s what you should bring:
-Your Friends. NEW LIFE! is perfect for them!
-Your Bibles.
-A focused attitude of worship.
Here’s what you should know:
-Parking is extremely limited. Arrive early to get a spot in the parking lot.
-You can also park in the following parking lots: St. Mary’s Catholic Church (located directly behind the Corps) and Warehouse Church (one block west of the Corps building).
-DO NOT park in the grocery store lot across the street from the Corps. They will tow you!
For directions to the Aurora Corps (437 E Galena Blvd Aurora, IL 60505) please click here.
See you there? RSVP with our Facebook event.
Posted By: Eric at 1:34 PM : Link : 0 Comments
A Word of Encouragement – Thoughts On Dependence
Friday, October 12, 2007
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about dependence on God. It seems that the more I grow in faith, the more I realize the conflict between my fallen nature and my heavenly nature (see Philippians 3:20). The reality is a spiritual battle between these opposing forces. And it’s not some romanticized, glory filled disagreement. It’s a real, gritty war.
Each Thursday I help run a Dodgeball outreach at my Corps. We play Dodgeball for two hours and at the end of the night I tell a truth about God. Last night at Dodgeball I was sharing a few thoughts about sin, confession and God’s faithfulness to forgive. I broke down 1 John 1:9—If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness—and talked about how if we want to be friends with God, we must first agree with Him. And that’s what confession is, it’s acknowledging the sin that God already knows about and saying, “God, I agree with you that this is wrong, please help me.”
Anyway, it’s usually a very quiet and respectful time but last night a kid raised his hand and asked a question. This was a first for Dodgeball. He asked me how our sinning made God feel, especially if we keep sinning, asking for forgiveness and sinning all over again. To be honest I was caught off guard by such a direct, honest question. I didn’t know exactly where to begin and started talking about the difference between deliberate and unintentional sin. I talked about free will. I talked about how God knows our heart, etc. I really wish I had a short answer for his complex question. But I didn’t.
It wasn’t until I was driving home that it really hit me: God loves us enough to remind us that we are totally dependent on Him. He certainly doesn’t want us to sin but He wants us to know that the only way we can be righteous is to be completely dependant on Him.
Much has been made about the “thorn in Paul’s flesh” (from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) and I’ve kind of glossed over the fact that there is actually a legitimate reason why God allowed Paul to be struggle. I mean, if I were Paul, I would be pretty upset that after all my faithful service and sacrifice that God wasn’t willing to immediately deal with every one of my problems. But Paul totally gets it. He sees past the pain, past the struggle, past the frustration and anger. He sees in this “thorn” a consistent reminder that he is utterly dependent on God. And he actually delights in his weakness because He gets to see God’s strength in spite of it!
We need His grace to be sufficient with our unrighteousness. We need His strength to overcome our weaknesses. We need Him! And when we struggle we can rejoice, because God is going to deal with our weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties. So be encouraged, if you are dependent on God, you can let Him work in your life, He will be sufficient for you.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Posted By: Eric at 12:12 PM : Link : 0 Comments
A Parable Of A Parable – Hammond-Munster Short
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Matthew 25:1-13 – Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Posted By: Eric at 11:38 AM : Link : 0 Comments
The Universal Message
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Acts 13:44-52
44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. 45 But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. 47 For the Lord gave us this command when he said,
‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49 So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.
50 Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. 52 And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Of Paul’s many journeys, the success of his first missionary voyage (Acts 13) must have been one of his most memorable. As Paul and Barnabas preached to Antioch they had no idea what to expect from the city. They did not know that so many Gentiles would believe, and they didn’t know that a mob would literally run “them out of town” (v.50). This story demonstrates how the only way to do be faithful to God is to be completely vulnerable to Him.
Paul and Barnabas probably did not expect to preach “the entire city of Antioch” (v.44), but they probably did expect the reaction of the Jewish leaders who argued against their presentation of the gospel. They were completely dependent on the Holy Spirit to move through them and connect with the vast Gentile congregation before them, and offer salvation to those who were not aware of Jesus.
Are you glad to hear the messages of the Lord? The best indication of receiving an exciting message is in the way the message spreads beyond your control. When the Lord gives you a message silence is impossible. You cannot contain His message and it will spill into everything you do. And as Paul and Barnabas witnessed in Antioch, the word of the Lord is alive: “So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region” (v.49). Maybe you need to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that moved through Paul and Barnabas in Antioch.
Posted By: Eric at 11:29 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Meet Elijah Cadman
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
At the age of six, Elijah Cadman—an unusually small boy and the youngest of five—became a chimney sweep. He began his day's work at four in the morning and was forced to climb inside chimneys to remove soot, dirt, ash and dust until he was 13, when a law was passed that prevented boys from being used as sweeps.
Elijah as a boy
From the age of six he was often drunk, and by the time he was 17 he could “fight like a devil and drink like a fish.” He was a popular boxer in his city and his powerful fists were said to carry “sudden death” by his supporters. He would often fight to win the chance to date a rival’s girlfriend. “Look here,” Elijah would say to a girl’s boyfriend, “let’s fight it out and let the best man take her.” The rival would agree and would receive such a beating that Elijah would feel sorry for him. Having won the fight he could afford to be generous. Turning to his fallen opponent he said: “Look here, I’ve won her, but you can have her!”
At the age of 21 he approached a street preacher whom he’d intended to tease. When he heard the man speak about sin, death and hell, he began to feel uneasy. He threw his boxing gloves to a friend and declared there would be no boxing that day. He went to a local church that night and still found no peace. A young woman approached him as he left the chapel and invited him to a meeting on a Monday night. That service made a powerful impression on Elijah’s mind as people spoke honestly about their struggles and their victories over temptation. “I’m lost!” Elijah cried, “I’m afraid of death!” The leader of the meeting told him of Christ’s power to save and urged him to renounce all sin and trust in God’s power. He did not become a Christian that night but left the meeting crying: “I’m going to fight for God, not the Devil!”
It wasn’t until the tough fighter knelt to pray at his bedside, giving himself fully to the Lord, that the storms of his heart and mind ceased. Elijah was a converted man and knew it. “I saw a Form and a Face,” he said afterwards, “and all my burdens, darkness, clouds and horror were gone, and there was abounding joy. My eyes were full of tears and my heart of gladness. I dressed, ran downstairs, nearly tumbling over my master's wife who was sitting on the lowest stair. 'I've seen Jesus Christ!' I told her.” Out of the house he ran, along the streets, telling everyone the good news on his way to church.
The preacher was beginning his sermon when Elijah arrived. As he spoke, Elijah was so carried away by his new experience that he shouted, and continued to shout, whenever the name of Jesus was mentioned. The congregation was upset by these outbursts, but nothing could keep this converted boxer down for long. That same night he stood in public and declared to all men that Christ had saved his soul.
Elijah began to equip himself for a new warfare. He learned to pray earnestly; in private and, after a hard struggle, in public. He began to study the Bible. Unable to read, he hired a boy to read the word of God to him and committed large portions to memory. He began to talk for Christ in the city streets, in the towns, before bars, in halls and spoke of his new joy. He sought to win others for Christ and soon won a number of his friends to this new way of life.
Cadman spent every spare moment preaching the gospel. His type of religion, proclaimed in simple language, attracted the working men of his day, and men crowded to hear him. One day his brother-in-law brought him a red-covered song book that was published by a Rev. William Booth. Elijah was thrilled with the powerful spirit of these songs and in the summer of 1876, he sold his house and moved his wife and children to become an evangelist in William Booth's Christian Mission.
The Cadman Family
Cadman was unable to read or write until at the age of 22, when he was taught to read by his young wife. He made quick progress and soon displayed an amazing ability with words. His reports to The Christian Mission Magazine provided not only God-glorifying reading but also a high degree of entertainment.
Soon the Cadman’s were sent to begin work (or “open fire”) in Whitby, England where the local citizens, expecting England to go to war at any moment against Russia, were fascinated by a poster announcing that the “Hallelujah Army” was declaring “War in Whitby” under the command of “Captain Cadman”. As a result, 3,000 people regularly attended his meetings, and when William Booth, the General Superintendent of The Christian Mission, visited the town, Cadman announced that “the General of the Hallelujah Army” was coming to “Review the Troops”.
He established the Army’s work in many places, to the loss of those who exploited men's evil passions, and to the glory of God and the lasting improvement of hundreds of homes. He was ever organizing, advising, teaching, holding Meetings. He was also the inventor of Salvation Army uniform, declaring at the fledgling Army's War Congress in August 1878: “I would like to wear a suit of clothes that would let everyone know I meant war to the teeth and salvation for the world.”
Elijah was successful in ministering to many types of men, including fighters, wife-beaters, drunkards and gamblers. This skill made him the perfect leader to undertake the development of the Men's Social Work when, in 1890, William Booth's great book, In Darkest England created support to end the injustices against Britain's poor.
High position and honor did not affect Elijah Cadman's simplicity, sincerity and directness. He brought his creative mind and love for the lost to his new appointment and was anxious that no poor man should feel friendless. His posters declared:
NO HOMELESS OR DESTITUTE MAN
WHO IS WILLING TO WORK NEED BEG,
STEAL, STARVE, SLEEP OUT AT NIGHT,
BE A PAUPER, OR COMMIT SUICIDE.
Ten years after he began this work, it is estimated that Cadman helped provide 30,000,000 meals, shelter for 12,500,000 men and guide 13,750 men in accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. After this, 'Fiery Elijah' became a world missionary and carried on the fight against the enemy of men's souls in the West Indies, South Africa, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Scandinavia and Germany.
Thousands began to follow Christ as a result of this undaunted little warrior, whose boyhood was so marred and whose manhood was so handicapped, but who all through his long life fought bravely against the heaviest odds-and won!
For more information about Elijah Cadman check out “Fighting Sweep” by H. Benjamin Blackwell.
(Compiled and edited from the International Heritage Centre Website)
Posted By: Eric at 4:38 PM : Link : 1 Comments
Aurora Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE!
Monday, October 08, 2007
The Aurora Corps is hosting the first ever Prayer & Praise Night NEW LIFE! gathering on Friday, October 19th at 7pm. It’s going to be a great time for all.
NEW LIFE! P&PN’s are friend friendly, so bring your friendly friends!
Are you coming? Be sure to RSVP via our Facebook event.
Posted By: Eric at 10:48 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Chicago Temple Coffee House
Sunday, October 07, 2007
For directions to Chicago Temple (1 N. Ogden Ave. Chicago, IL 60607-1815) please click here.
(Coffee House graphic courtesy of B. Nilson)
Posted By: Eric at 9:24 AM : Link : 0 Comments
A Word of Encouragement – Overwhelming Victory
Friday, October 05, 2007
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a Young Adult retreat in the WUM division with special guests Bill Miller (preaching) and Phil Laeger (worship). It was a great time. The highlight was spending some time with my friend Phil. (Phil is an awesome composer and worship leader. You’ve probably heard his stuff with TransMission, he also helped us out greatly with the production of The Red Book Sessions. He is probably best yet known for his haunting song “I Surrender”).
Anyway, during one of the free times we tried to co-write a song together. We threw out ideas and went a few different directions. One of the main ideas that came to light was the fact that because we belong to Christ, we have overwhelming victory. Not a partial victory. Not a wow-that-was-close-and-we-barely-made-it victory but an OVERWHELMING VICTORY. And it’s not only God’s victory, it’s ours, it’s mine.
Nothing really came of the song other than two brothers in Christ sharing a moment of awe in the overwhelming victory offered to us through Christ. And this victory is truly overwhelming.
Romans 8:31-39
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Posted By: Eric at 4:10 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Servant Evangelism 101 – DeKalb Corps Short
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Posted By: Eric at 3:28 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Confronting Forgiveness
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Philemon 1:4-21
4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
If you have ever been confronted you will know how uncomfortable it can feel. Let’s say that you have been hurt in a relationship and have decided that the best way to deal with the other person is to avoid them. This is exactly what I decided to do a few years ago after a very difficult breakup. Even though I saw my ex-girlfriend at church and around our group of friends I decided that instead of arguing, I would rather forget she existed. This technique was good for me but painful for her.
After a few months of selective amnesia I was confronted by a wise man that happened to be her father. He confronted me with love and concern, and after a few minutes of squirming in my chair I realized I needed to forgive and accept his daughter.
At only 25 verses long, it’s easy to miss the book of Philemon. Hidden inside this epistle is a very important plea: we need to forgive and accept those who have wronged us. Paul confronted Philemon to forgive Onesimus. Philemon had been wronged; Onesimus had stolen from him and had betrayed his trust. Imagine what Philemon must of felt when he received this letter from his friend Paul: excitement, anticipation, joy. Now imagine what he felt like after reading it: embarrassment, conviction, shame.
If there is someone that you need to forgive, do it. We do not know what happened after Paul confronted Philemon, but we do know what Philemon should have done: forgiven Onesimus as a brother in Christ. I know what I did after that awkward confrontation with that girl years ago, I forgave and accepted her. She then became a friend again, someone who later became my fiancé and would become my wife.
Posted By: Eric at 2:20 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Meet George Scott Railton
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
George Scott Railton was one of the most unique personalities to ever help shape the character of The Salvation Army.
The son of a Methodist minister, both of his parents died from fever when he was 15. He worked on his own in London, seeking something that was more like the old Methodism of John Wesley, eventually finding the Christian Mission and the work of William Booth.
At William’s invitation, he moved into their home to become Booth's secretary. In this position, he shared his beliefs of theology and contributed many of his own views to the fledgling Salvation Army, particularly concerning the Sacraments.
By 1880, Bramwell Booth took on the roll of secretary and Railton—who always had a desire for mission work—persuaded Booth to support him in beginning the Army's work in New York. With male officers being in short supply, he selected Captain Emma Westbrook and recruited six more young women with the thought of training them on the voyage to America.
The reports were reprinted at length in the London War Cry on 31 January 1880, and included this bold notice:
“WE MUST GO! This news has come upon us like a voice from Heaven and leaves us no choice. Mr. Railton must for a time postpone his North Wales expedition in order to take command of a force with which he hopes to sail about 13th February for New York, and the United States must, throughout their length and breadth, be overrun by Salvation desperadoes.”
When George Scott Railton and the seven “Hallelujah lassies” boarded the ocean liner Australia they were determined to be successful in The Salvation Army’s invasion of America. It took their ship four weeks to sail from London to New York and on March 10th, 1880, they arrived in Battery Park, New York, got off their ship, walked down the ramp, knelt in prayer on the cold ground, planted the Blood-and-Fire flag in the earth, sang a hymn and claimed America for God.
Railton and the "lassies" made swift progress in America, joining with the unofficial work already begun by Eliza Shirley and her family in Philadelphia. He also began the work in Newark, New Jersey, leaving two young women in charge. With typical zeal, he soon departed for St. Louis, Missouri, in an effort to begin work there, but was unsuccessful. By 1881, he was needed by Booth and was on his way to begin missionary work in other lands.
A talent for languages enabled him to create confidence in educated people. Visits to France, Switzerland, and Sweden took up much of his time. Somehow, he found time for courtship and marriage to Marianne Parkyn. She was a soul mate who proved adaptable to his frantic schedule and constant traveling. Eventually, she and their children made a permanent home in Margate, England where he stayed whenever possible.
In the course of his voyages, he made many contributions to the Army's work. He translated song books in Zulu and Dutch, created the Army and Navy League for Salvationist servicemen away from home, and the Prison Gate work for recently-released prisoners. He had a particular interest in Germany, studying the language and being instrumental in sending officers to work there. His stays were so short in various countries; his wife did not have time to embroider his work shirt in the proper language for each one. Rather, Railton obtained permission to wear one embroidered only with a cross, the universal language of Christ.
In 1906, in accordance with the Booth’s wishes, he scouted China to look for possibilities for the Army's work—which began in 1915. He also gloried in reaching the Japanese people, where he found the work already in progress. Railton was inspired by the missionary spirit in a far wider sense than is generally understood. He was a missionary not for a land or people, but for the world.
George Scott Railton also gave to the movement some of its most stirring war-songs. One of the earliest and best known of these was either written or adopted by him. It was printed, with music, in the February 1874 issue of the Christian Mission Magazine, headed "A Christian War Song" without any indication as to authorship. It was given prominence in all editions of Heathen England as "Our War-Song", it began:
Soldier, rouse thee ! War is raging,
God and fiends the battle waging;
and for the chorus it had:
Through the world resounding,
Let the Gospel sounding
Summon all at Jesus' call,
His glorious cross surrounding,
Sons of God, earth's trifles leaving,
Be not faithless, but believing;
To your conquering Captain cleaving,
Forward to the fight!
Though Railton's health began to decline in 1913, he kept up his frantic schedule with a trip to France and Holland and an impulsive stop in Cologne, Germany. After running for a train with heavy baggage, he collapsed and died at the age of 64. His first lying in state was at the men's shelter in that city.
People from all walks of life, from all over the world, mourned his promotion to glory. World Commissioners followed the car bearing his casket. As the procession passed Parliament, a band was permitted to play for the first time in 100 years. George Scott Railton was truly God’s Soldier.
(Compiled and edited from the Central Territory Website and the International. Heritage Centre Website)
Posted By: Eric at 3:20 PM : Link : 0 Comments
